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Rangers, A Strong Season, Bitter Finish

ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) – Rangers manager Ron Washington wishes he gave his everyday players more rest during the season.

Four days after Texas was eliminated by Baltimore in the AL wild-card playoff, Washington said Tuesday he thinks his team would still be playing if it had been fresher.

When asked what areas the team needed to work on Washington indicated there was “No one area,” that needed improvement but, “A lot of things. We have to do better, we have to keep the guys healthy.”

After going to the last two World Series, Texas failed to win even one game this October. They lost 10 of their last 14 overall, including a sweep at Oakland to end the regular season.

Texas had seven players who appeared in at least 147 games. Third baseman Adrian Beltre was among five Rangers who played in at least 156 games.

The Rangers also have to consider the possibility of losing former AL MVP Josh Hamilton. With the thought of Hamilton going into free agency in 2013, the team’s General Manager Jon Daniels indicated Hamilton’s possible departure by telling the media “we’ve got to prepare the club that he (Hamilton) won’t be back,” but adding that the Rangers are not going to make a pre-emptive proposal to keep Hamilton in a Rangers uniform.

The Rangers payroll this year topped $120 million. Ryan, who is also part of the team’s ownership group, said there have been numerous discussions about team’s budget for 2013 that will not be affected by the lack of revenue-generating home playoff games.

“Overall, we’re probably all pretty much in agreement of where we’re headed and how we’re doing as organization,” Ryan said, without getting into specifics. “I think that we all have thoughts and opinions on how we can improve our ballclub, and those will be expressed obviously during meetings going forward. But overall I think everybody’s on the same page.”

Aside from Hamilton and catcher Mike Napoli, the other potential free agents are pitchers.

Ryan Dempster came from the Chicago Cubs in a July 31 trade, and the Rangers will not pick up a $9 million option on Scott Feldman, who will get a $600,000 buyout instead. The others are relievers Mike Adams, Koji Uehara, Mark Lowe and Roy Oswalt, the three-time All-Star added midseason who wound up in the bullpen after Dempster was acquired.